Cultivator attachment for tractors



Feb. 23, 1932. D. K. TRQTTER CULTIVATOR ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS FiledJan. 22 1926 Patented Feb. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE DAVID K.TROTTER, OF EUTAW, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR T0 INTERNATIONAL COMPANY, A.CORPORATION 01T NEWVJERSEY com'xvaroa ATTAGHMENT ron amorous Application1aed Ianasryzz, 1926. seriarmsaess.

My invention relates to certain new and `useful improvements incultivator attachments for tractors, and particularly for attachmentsadapted to be mounted in front of the tractor.

Attachments of the type to which my invention, more particularly relatesare illustrated in the atent to Benjamin, No. 1,539,108, issued 26th,1925, wherein is shown a rigid transverse frame membersupported in frontof the tractor by arms pivotally mounted on the tractor so as to swingin a horizontal plane. The rigid transverse draft member has suitablyconnected thereto the cultivating implements which act in front and oneach side of the forward tractor wheels. This device has come into widespread use and has many important advantages, but in its practical use lhave found that the rigidity of the front draft member and the confiningof its swing to the hori- Zontal plane, interfere with the uniformaction of all of the cultivating devices when the implement is utilizedover sloping or irregular ground surfaces. The more important objects ofmy invention therefore are to improve and perfect this type of implementwhere it is desired to have the ends of the draft member connected byinterposing a flexible coupling in the center' of its front dra'ltmember to which the cultivating implements are attached; by extendingthat member downwardly and rearwardly at each end to carry groundsupports such as wheels adapted to travel preferably in substantialtransverse alignment with the front tractor wheels; and by mounting theswingingsupports for the front draft member upon swivels which willpermit the articulated sections of the draft member to follow thecontour of the ground independently at each side and thus practically toeifect a like cultivation of `the ground on both sides of the tractor.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, where it is illustrated in its preferred embodiment only.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved cultivatingattachment with only a front draft member of the tractor shownin fulllines to explain the manner of connection of `my attachment to `atypical tractor.

Fig. `2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 showin the front tractor wheels;and

Fig. 3 is a detail viewof the :flexible coupling fin the front draftmember.

` F ig. 4 is a detailed side elevation `of an outrigger swivel support.i

lar parts throughout the drawings.

`.ln the embodiment of my invention illustrated, show an attachmentadaptedfortwo row cultivation and `which is intended to be mounted uponthe narrow forward maini frame orbody of a tractor or the like so as tooperate in advance ofthe latter. In thedrawings I have illustrated 'justsufficient of the tractor to make clearthe manner ofimounting myattachment thereto. The drawings show the Vfront steering truck ofthetraotor comprising wheels 1, a steering post 2 which `is journaled inthe front cross member of a casting `3 and driven by al gear "4. Gn theforward corners of the frame 3 at each side of the steering post Isecure brackets 5 to each of whicliis `bolted a counterfbored plate 6carrying a horizontal forwardly projected swivel pin 7 which hasmountedthereon, free `to swing in a vertical plane transversely of the tractor,an attachment bracket 8 having a vertical hearing 9 in which thehorizontally swinging Outrigger supports for the `cultivatingattachments are mounted. Theseoutrlggers comprise a` lower rod `10having its end upturned and adapted to rotate inits respective `Journalbearing 9 and having its upper end projecting above said bearmgandSimilar reference numerals refer to simii HARVESTER I connected to thebrace members ll and 12. y

The other forward end of the rod is upturned and journaled in a verticalbearing 13 connected to its respective depending arm 14. One of thesedepending armsis provided at each side of the steering truck and attheir upper ends they are rigidly connected by clamps 15 to the adjacentend of the front draft member 16 and at their lower ends they areconnected to the ends 17n lof upwardly `arched `crank shafts 17, eachhaving one end journaled in `an arm 14 and theother end truck and `theymay extend to the rear thereof and by reason of the swinging outriggers10 may be shifted laterally with respect to the truck. Suitablecultivatingimplements 21 are mounted on the beams 20 and to theV centralparts of each arched shaft 17 I may pivotally connect the forward endsof .an operating rod 22 whichvextends rearwardly on each side of thetractor and is connected to an operating lever 28 suitably mounted andheld in adjusted positions on the rear of the tractor. The steering postgear 4 is in mesh with a gear 24 to be operated by the steering rod 25that is suitably mounted overhead on the tractor and controlled by asteering. wheel 26. This steering post carries a forwardly extending arm27 yconnected by a swivel link 28 with an arm 29 fast on one of thebrackets 14, and the two outriggers 11 are cross connected by a.diagonal link 30 which serves to limit the range of movement when theoutriggers are swung together horizontally responsive to the steering ofthe front tractor wheels 1 to correspondingly shift the front shaftmember 16, as more particularly described in the Benjamin patent.

In order that this front draft member may bev adapted to flex freely atits center in a vertical plane 1, substitute for the rigid member ofBenjamin two end members 16 which are connected atv their center by alink 31, the pivot pins 32 which connect this link to the draft members16 being disposed forwardly and horizontally so that said members 16 arefree to break in a vertical plane.

This flexing of the front member would be prevented bythe Outriggersupports 11 but for 'the swivel mounting ofthe latter, as shown in Fig.4. To permit the outriggers to haverelative swivelling motion theVdiagonal cross connecting link Ohas a lost-motion connection at one vendand is conventionally illustrated by the slot 37 and pin 38.

Theflexible central connection in the front draft member necessitatesend Vsupports therefor and with this in view the front draft member hasits outerv ends elongated and bent downwardly and rearwardly at 33 andterminating in vertical bearings 34which receive the castor frames 35 ineach of which a Vsupporting wheel 36 for the attachment is mounted inline with the tractor wheel 1. This constitutes a satisfactory groundsupport for the ends of the draft member and 1ts attachments,V but it isto be understoodY that other convenient ground supports may be employed.

Having mounted the attachment on the tractor frame in the mannerdescribed, it will be seen that the front draft member 16 will be freeto flex in a vertical plane so as to permit each of its end Asupportingground wheels 36 to follow the contour of the ground and thus to holdthe cultivating elements on each side of the tractorequally to theirwork.`

The cultivating elements can be steered by the operating connection fromthe steering rigging of the tractor in the manner described in theBenjamin patent, and in like manner the cultivating implements can beraised, lowered or adjusted by the controlmeans which Benjamindescribes. l As each end of the draft members plays up and down it isofcourse necessary for its Outrigger supports to swivel and this they willdo by reason of the swivel mountingiof the bearings in which theoutriggers. are journaled; The draftrigging thus becomes freelyiiexible'to follow the ground contour with vthe'advantages and forreasonshereinbefore 'set forth.y Y

Though I have described with great particularity the details of theembodiment of the invention `herein shown, it is not tobe construed thatI am limited thereto, as changes in arrangement and substitution ofequivalents may be made by those skilled in the art without departingfrom the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An attachment for tractors and the like, comprising a forwardtransverse draft member articulated near its center to permit it tobreak in a vertical plane, an outriggersupport for the inner .end ofeach side of the draft member, means to mount said support on thetractor free to swing horizontally and to swivel in a verticaltransverse plane, cultivating implements attached to the ends of saiddraft member, and ground' supports for the ends of said draft member. Y

2. An attachment for tractors and the like according to claim 1, inwhich the ground supports for the draft member are disposedsubstantially in transverse alignment with the Vfront wheels of thetractor. f

3. An attachment for tractors and the like, comprising a forwardtransverse draft member articulated to break vertically at its .center,.a rearwardly extending Outrigger support for the inner end of each sideof the draft member having means to mount it on theV tractor frame freeto swing laterally and to swivel in a vertical plane, the ends ofV saiddraft member being bent downwardly and rearwardly, supporting groundwheels mounted on said ends of said cross member, and cultivatingimplements connected to said cross member. Y l

et. In a cultivating attachment for tractors, i the combination with a.forward frame member of the tractor7 of brackets attached' to each sideof said member and comprising forwardly extending swivel pins, avertically disposed bearing mounted to swivel on each of said pins, anOutrigger mounted in each of said bearings free to swing horizontally, aforward transverse draft member having a pivotal central connectionadapted to permit its ends to break in a vertical plane, meansconnecting each end of said member to an outrigger, the ends of saidmember being bent downwardly and rearwardly and provided with asupporting castor wheel disposed substantially in alignment with theforward Atractor wheels, .steering mechanism for the draft member, andcultivating implements suitably attached to the ends of said draftmember and having suitable control means, substantially as described.

A cultivator attachment for tractors, comprising an extended draftmember articulated centrally to permit its opposite ends to swing in avertical plane, an Outrigger support to which the middle portion of saidmember is connected, means on said support for connecting it to thefront of a tractor with the support projecting forwardly and the d ra ftmember extending transversely, ground engaging supporting means on theouter ends ot' said draft member, and straddle-row cultivatingimplements attached to the extended portions of the draft member andpositioned on the inner sides of the ground engaging supports.

6. A cultivator attachment for tractors having front steering wheels,comprising an extended draft member articulated centrally to permit itsopposite ends to swing in a vertical plane, means on the middle portionof the member for connect-ing it across the front of a trac-tor,supporting means for the ends of said draft member, and tillageimplements comprising drag beams connected to the respective ends of thedraft member in position to drag at each outer side of the steeringwheels when the attachment is in position on the tractor.

7. The combination with a tractor, of a centrally flexible sectionaldraft member positioned across the front of the tractor with oppositesections extending laterally at each side thereof, means for connectingthe middle portion of said member to the tractor for independentvertical movement of the lateral sections thereof, a ground engagingsupport on the end of each section, and' a pair of cultivator beamscarried by each section between the ground engaging supports and thesides of the tractor.

8. The combination with a tractor, of a cultivator attachment mountedacross the front end of the tractor and comprising oppositely extendingmembers fiexibly connected at the inner ends and projecting beyond eachside of the tractor at right an les to the longitudinal median linethereof, rag beams connected to each member and' trailing at each sideof the tractor, and supporting means for said members on the outer endsthereof.

9. The combination with a tractor, of a cultivator attachment mountedacross the front end of the tractor and comprising parallel forwardlyprojecting members mounted on the tractor, opposite laterall extendingmembers supported on said mem ers for free movement vertically andprojecting beyond each side of the tractor at right angles to thelongitudinal median line thereof, drag beams connected to each memberand trailing at each side of the tractor, and supporting means for saidlaterally extending members on the ends thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DAVID K. TROTTER.

